A Baton Rouge judge has rejected attempts by the Attorney General and Secretary of State to throw out a case challenging a wide-ranging constitutional amendment that is scheduled for the March 29, 2025 ballot.
The lawsuit, brought by a pastor and two teachers, contends that Amendment 2 is not honest with voters about what changes to the state constitution voters are being asked to approve.
In particular, the lawsuit alleges that Amendment 2 would narrow constitutional protections for church property and eliminate constitutional protections for the property of veterans groups, unions, and other nonprofits. The plaintiffs point out that none of those changes appear in the ballot language, and that the ballot language suggests that some of these changes wouldn’t happen.
The Attorney General and Secretary of State argued in court today that the plaintiffs could not sue to enforce provisions of the Constitution or a state statute that requires ballot language to be “unbiased.” The judge rejected those arguments, but paused the case for just over a week to allow time for a court of appeal to weigh in.
“We are so glad that the judge today recognized a core truth: that rules calling for transparency in elections are not unenforceable words on a page; they are critical pillars of a functioning democracy,” said William Most, lead attorney on the case. The case has been set for another hearing on March 21, 2025.